Alpine makes big move: 'Consciously took this risk with the engine'

At Alpine, they are confident of taking a big step forward in 2023. The French racing stable made great progress with the car in 2022 and hopes to continue that next season.

In 2019, 2020 and 2021, Renault/Alpine did not get beyond fifth place among the constructors, but in 2022, Alpine seems to be on its way to a fourth-place finish again. To do so, it still has to settle with McLaren, as the difference in the championship is only 13 points. Still, there is a lot of optimism at Alpine.

Indeed, in 2022, the team has taken a big step forward. The A522 is competitive and lightning fast on the straight. Renault has therefore worked hard on an improved engine for this season, as engine development is frozen as of now. That will pay off in 2022, although it also has negative consequences.

Speaking to Motorsport.com sporting director Alan Permane explained that the team deliberately took a risk with the engine. An aggressive development was chosen, with which the team hopes to have long-term success. Speed will be evident in 2022, but reliability is costing the team a lot of points right now. However, that can be solved in time.

Besides the faster engine, the French team is also working on the car for 2023. That, according to Permane, is significantly better than the 2022 car, which is already good enough for P4 among constructors. The team's ambition is to fight for the world title again in the future, but that is still unrealistic for 2023. In the meantime, it will also continue to develop steadily in 2022, as another new specification comes off the floor in Austin.